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Started By
Message
Help fix my deadlift
Posted on 6/8/25 at 12:29 pm
Posted on 6/8/25 at 12:29 pm
I could really use some guidance on my deadlift technique. Right now, it feels like I’m trying to fold up a broken lawn chair—awkward, clunky, and unstable. Every rep feels off, and I keep losing my balance. Worst of all, I end up with lower back pain (just above the tailbone) for a couple of days afterward. Honestly, it’s making me dread the lift.
For context, I started deadlifting about six weeks ago. Before that, I had zero experience. I’ve been trying to learn by watching a ton of YouTube videos, filming my sets, and self-correcting—but it’s just not clicking. Here's the checklist I've been working from, based on what I've picked up, but I can't seem to get the movement down:
•Bar over midfoot, shins about an inch away.
•Hinge at the hips to grab the bar.
•Drop hips until shins touch the bar (without moving it).
•Push knees out into elbows.
•Lift chest and look forward.
•Inhale and brace core.
•Pull the slack out of the bar, then lift.
•Push hips forward to lockout.
•Hinge at the hips to lower past the knees.
•Drop hips to return the bar to the floor.
The video below is from a warm-up set yesterday. I didn’t even get to my working sets—I stopped early when that familiar lower back pain kicked in again.
If you have any cues, tips, or corrections to help me un-frick my form, I’d really appreciate it. I’m committed to learning this, but clearly need more than YouTube and trial-and-error.
For context, I started deadlifting about six weeks ago. Before that, I had zero experience. I’ve been trying to learn by watching a ton of YouTube videos, filming my sets, and self-correcting—but it’s just not clicking. Here's the checklist I've been working from, based on what I've picked up, but I can't seem to get the movement down:
•Bar over midfoot, shins about an inch away.
•Hinge at the hips to grab the bar.
•Drop hips until shins touch the bar (without moving it).
•Push knees out into elbows.
•Lift chest and look forward.
•Inhale and brace core.
•Pull the slack out of the bar, then lift.
•Push hips forward to lockout.
•Hinge at the hips to lower past the knees.
•Drop hips to return the bar to the floor.
The video below is from a warm-up set yesterday. I didn’t even get to my working sets—I stopped early when that familiar lower back pain kicked in again.
If you have any cues, tips, or corrections to help me un-frick my form, I’d really appreciate it. I’m committed to learning this, but clearly need more than YouTube and trial-and-error.
15
Posted on 6/8/25 at 12:35 pm to Bleed P&G
If they’re causing you pain, why do you want to do them? I stopped deadlifting five years ago, and I don’t miss it at all. Deadlifts just never felt right to me.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 1:31 pm to Bleed P&G
Don't have any great guidance for you on form, but what helped me the most with my deadlift form was a ton kettlebell swings, both as a warm up and as accessory work. The swing helped me with bracing, hip hinge, balance and improving core strength.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 1:39 pm to Bleed P&G
I always go back to Alan Thrall's how to deadlift videos when I start to question my form. It's how I initially learned the proper way
Alan Thrall How to deadlift
Alan Thrall How to deadlift
Posted on 6/8/25 at 1:58 pm to Bleed P&G
Random newb question...what are you wanting/expecting out of deadlifting, that you can't get from something else? DLing seems like something that could cause damage, so just wondering outside of competition what's it's benifit.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 2:15 pm to Bleed P&G
First off don't listen to these nerds telling you not to DL. DLs are great and I really enjoy them. I'm not the best person to coach form but I think it looks like you did a good job pulling the slack out and setting your shoulders back on the first rep but then you didn't do that as well on the following reps. I think your hips are too low and chest too high at the starting position. Also thinking about pushing your legs through the floor should help with the balance. You don't want to roll back on your heels when you're coming up. I don't think you really need to have your head looking so far up at the starting position. Just stare at a point out in front of you but on the floor and keep your head still thru the rep. You definitely look clunky like you aren't pulling the bar up in one continuous motion but idk the right cues to tell you to help fix that. It's almost like you can't decide whether you want to raise your hips or shoulders up first.
I will also say if you're having back pain that building your brace may help. Things like ab wheels and back extensions could be good for this. Back extensions did wonders for my back and when I had back issues I did them for months before incorporating deadlifts. My back feels better than ever now
If you just cant figure it out you could also try a variation like Sumo deads and see if that works better for you
I will also say if you're having back pain that building your brace may help. Things like ab wheels and back extensions could be good for this. Back extensions did wonders for my back and when I had back issues I did them for months before incorporating deadlifts. My back feels better than ever now
If you just cant figure it out you could also try a variation like Sumo deads and see if that works better for you
This post was edited on 6/8/25 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 6/8/25 at 2:31 pm to HagaDaga
quote:
what are you wanting/expecting out of deadlifting, that you can't get from something else? DLing seems like something that could cause damage, so just wondering outside of competition what's it's benifit.
I've read that deadlifts are one of the best exercises that you can do because of all the muscles that it hits. I've also read that deadlifting fires up your metabolism more than any other exercise.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 2:38 pm to Bleed P&G
You are locking your knees out and doing it 3/4 through the lift, stop all that. Your knees should not lock out at all; at the top of the lift your legs are straight as they would be if you were just standing.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 3:04 pm to idontyield
Try a trap bar. Lower your weight and get some bands.
Also, get a heavy band and do dead lift with it. The band repetiton is supposed to match the dl.
Try more reps and lighter weight. Just a form day.
Also, get a heavy band and do dead lift with it. The band repetiton is supposed to match the dl.
Try more reps and lighter weight. Just a form day.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 3:36 pm to Bleed P&G
Got it. Good to know. Thx.
Kind of the reason why I do jump rope as cardio. Don't need much time, but it hits the full body. From a more toning up perspective, and definitely gets you breathing.
Kind of the reason why I do jump rope as cardio. Don't need much time, but it hits the full body. From a more toning up perspective, and definitely gets you breathing.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 3:53 pm to Bleed P&G
The moment the bar passes your knee clinch your arse cheeks and pressing your hips forward. Press your feet down hard on the floor that you feel you’re going to break the floor
Posted on 6/8/25 at 9:29 pm to Bleed P&G
Over 50 here and have been working on my DLs too. I suffered from back pain a year ago and after watching some YouTube figured out some things that helped. I don’t know what the board thinks of AthleanX but he has a ton of good content.
What I gathered was back pain almost always is other muscles not doing their jobs. So I quit DLs and Squats and worked on Bulg Split Squats, Romanian DL and hip hinges to wake up my glutes annd hamstrings. Your body will compensate to complete the task and a lot of time that puts your back in stress. Also those band side steps for the Glute Medius(?) and the adductors are huge as they connect to the lower back. Those exercises are all brutal in their own right and after a few months went back to squats and DLs.
Those helped eliminate my back pain and I still incorporate them into my WO. Also, on DLs I mentally focus on my back and upper legs being two fixed hinges that move together. Hips high, chest up, engage lats and push down through the floor and once I’m at my knees just “stand up”. The stand up piece really worked for me because then I’m not pulling a heavy weight….just standing up. I also try to finish with my shoulders back but not arching my back.
Hope this helps. YMMV.
ETA: I don’t like the trap bar because the grips are too wide and my arms weren’t vertical. Also, it seems it’s too easy just to squat down rather than hinge over. That’s just me though.
ETA2: my only complaint with Starting Strength, Greyskull, etc. is there should be a “if you’re a novice lifter you should do these exercises first before you start compound movements” section. It’s really easy to bench, squat, DL, etc and not use the muscles you’re supposed to be using without realizing it up until the point you strain something.
What I gathered was back pain almost always is other muscles not doing their jobs. So I quit DLs and Squats and worked on Bulg Split Squats, Romanian DL and hip hinges to wake up my glutes annd hamstrings. Your body will compensate to complete the task and a lot of time that puts your back in stress. Also those band side steps for the Glute Medius(?) and the adductors are huge as they connect to the lower back. Those exercises are all brutal in their own right and after a few months went back to squats and DLs.
Those helped eliminate my back pain and I still incorporate them into my WO. Also, on DLs I mentally focus on my back and upper legs being two fixed hinges that move together. Hips high, chest up, engage lats and push down through the floor and once I’m at my knees just “stand up”. The stand up piece really worked for me because then I’m not pulling a heavy weight….just standing up. I also try to finish with my shoulders back but not arching my back.
Hope this helps. YMMV.
ETA: I don’t like the trap bar because the grips are too wide and my arms weren’t vertical. Also, it seems it’s too easy just to squat down rather than hinge over. That’s just me though.
ETA2: my only complaint with Starting Strength, Greyskull, etc. is there should be a “if you’re a novice lifter you should do these exercises first before you start compound movements” section. It’s really easy to bench, squat, DL, etc and not use the muscles you’re supposed to be using without realizing it up until the point you strain something.
This post was edited on 6/8/25 at 10:33 pm
Posted on 6/8/25 at 10:09 pm to HagaDaga
quote:
Random newb question...what are you wanting/expecting out of deadlifting, that you can't get from something else? DLing seems like something that could cause damage, so just wondering outside of competition what's it's benifit.
Conventional wisdom is:
It’s functional ie lifting something heavy off the floor
It’s full body and really fires up your nervous system. Few things will leave you as gassed and sweating as DLs.
It engages damn near every muscle in your body and putting them under that load is supposed to trigger hormonal boosts
You feel like a boss when you get your set or add that extra rep. I don’t care if other dudes are benching my DL set…at my age it makes me feel like I’m doing something. It’s sad to me to see guys my age just wondering around or spending their time on a curl machine or doing tricep extensions when they have skinny legs.
That said, I’ll never max or go for a 1 rep PR. I just want to nail my 3 or 2x5 and move up a rep or 5lbs next set. I try to do them once every 1 or 2 weeks.
This post was edited on 6/8/25 at 10:26 pm
Posted on 6/8/25 at 10:35 pm to Bleed P&G
quote:
Right now, it feels like I’m trying to fold up a broken lawn chair—awkward, clunky, and unstable. Every rep feels off, and I keep losing my balance
I know the weight is light, but slow down the reps.
Your butt is raising too fast. Your posture is actually pretty good other than that. Your hips & chest should rise in unison.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 10:38 pm to Lester Earl
Sit back in that position a little more ( think of getting your shins more vertical) and your hamstrings should light up. If your engaged in your posterior chain, your hamstrings should almost lift light weight themselves
Posted on 6/9/25 at 5:22 am to Bleed P&G
im no coach but here are my critiques
1 reduce the weight while learning the lift. consider no more than 135 while getting your form in place. ive been deadlifting for years, its my favorite lift, and i could get a great session in if only had 135 on the bar. you need to learn when and where to squeeze different muscles at different points along the bar's path. use a lighter weight until you get the pace of the lift down more comfortably
2 the muscles in your back and back-of-shoulders are not braced enough. you could work on some accessory items to strengthen them (pullups, rows, etc). to me, the prime muscle for that is the latissimus dorsi ("lats"). a cue ive used for others to engage them is, while standing, "put your shoulders in your back pocket". this teaches how to squeeze and engage the back. that seems to be a good cue for engaging the lats. think about egregiously over-emphasizing a super squeeze on the back-of-shoulder muscles and lats as the last cue before the pull. and just keep your head in line with your spine
3 slow down, especially early in the lift (floor to knee). be like a robot, not a fast athlete, while learning the lift. be slow and deliberate until the bar is just past the knee. as other said, your instinct to go too fast was apparent on the first rep where you were way back on your heels
5 at top, squeeze your butt to drive your hips into the bar while squeezing the back to "put your shoulders into your back pocket" and pulling the bar into your hips. i try to get a great squeeze at the top before starting the descent
4 its easy to get sloppy on the descent and let your back and shoulders get loose. think "unlock the hips" as first cue to descend. it looks like your cue is "bend over" to start the descent
stay with it. its a great full body movement for real strength and everyone should use em. i know ive gotten a good deadlift workout in when my hammies, glutes and back are sore, with glutes being the most sore. think about trying to make your glutes work the most during this lift. it takes lots of practice to train the kinetic chain to get the glutes to perform most of the work
1 reduce the weight while learning the lift. consider no more than 135 while getting your form in place. ive been deadlifting for years, its my favorite lift, and i could get a great session in if only had 135 on the bar. you need to learn when and where to squeeze different muscles at different points along the bar's path. use a lighter weight until you get the pace of the lift down more comfortably
2 the muscles in your back and back-of-shoulders are not braced enough. you could work on some accessory items to strengthen them (pullups, rows, etc). to me, the prime muscle for that is the latissimus dorsi ("lats"). a cue ive used for others to engage them is, while standing, "put your shoulders in your back pocket". this teaches how to squeeze and engage the back. that seems to be a good cue for engaging the lats. think about egregiously over-emphasizing a super squeeze on the back-of-shoulder muscles and lats as the last cue before the pull. and just keep your head in line with your spine
3 slow down, especially early in the lift (floor to knee). be like a robot, not a fast athlete, while learning the lift. be slow and deliberate until the bar is just past the knee. as other said, your instinct to go too fast was apparent on the first rep where you were way back on your heels
5 at top, squeeze your butt to drive your hips into the bar while squeezing the back to "put your shoulders into your back pocket" and pulling the bar into your hips. i try to get a great squeeze at the top before starting the descent
4 its easy to get sloppy on the descent and let your back and shoulders get loose. think "unlock the hips" as first cue to descend. it looks like your cue is "bend over" to start the descent
stay with it. its a great full body movement for real strength and everyone should use em. i know ive gotten a good deadlift workout in when my hammies, glutes and back are sore, with glutes being the most sore. think about trying to make your glutes work the most during this lift. it takes lots of practice to train the kinetic chain to get the glutes to perform most of the work
This post was edited on 6/9/25 at 5:26 am
Posted on 6/9/25 at 6:28 am to Bleed P&G
at 0:11 you are on your heels
That is very unbalanced and needs to be corrected
You feet need to be full ground contact the entire time
You likely need to spend some good time stretching your hips, it helps me a ton.
That is very unbalanced and needs to be corrected
You feet need to be full ground contact the entire time
You likely need to spend some good time stretching your hips, it helps me a ton.
Posted on 6/9/25 at 6:59 am to mylsuhat
OP also appears to be wearing Vibram Fivefingers or something else that is way too flexible. You don't need free movement of all your toes-sies when you squat and DL, you need them to stay in the same place. Get a cheap pair of chucks, just make sure they're wide enough.
I second the kettlebell swings. You're also spending a lot of time "thinking" while you're holding on the bar before you pull. I get my air and partially brace even before I drop to grab the bar, and may spend 2-3 seconds max down there. Drop the weight to 135 and get your setup right, and do it the same way, every time, no matter the weight. You need to be confident enough in your foot/hand/bar placement to not have to think about where your body parts are. If you have bumper plates of 15 or 25 that are the same height as a 45. It looks like your 35s *may* be the same height, start there if you have to.
I put the fourth inside shoe string hole even with the edge of the smooth for my left foot. Do the same with the right. Chin up. Quick check that I can see where the power rings are (not obscured with chalk, etc.) Air, brace, dip grip and go. Exactly the same. Every time. I know exactly where my shoulders, back, knees, etc are going to be without thinking about it.
I second the kettlebell swings. You're also spending a lot of time "thinking" while you're holding on the bar before you pull. I get my air and partially brace even before I drop to grab the bar, and may spend 2-3 seconds max down there. Drop the weight to 135 and get your setup right, and do it the same way, every time, no matter the weight. You need to be confident enough in your foot/hand/bar placement to not have to think about where your body parts are. If you have bumper plates of 15 or 25 that are the same height as a 45. It looks like your 35s *may* be the same height, start there if you have to.
I put the fourth inside shoe string hole even with the edge of the smooth for my left foot. Do the same with the right. Chin up. Quick check that I can see where the power rings are (not obscured with chalk, etc.) Air, brace, dip grip and go. Exactly the same. Every time. I know exactly where my shoulders, back, knees, etc are going to be without thinking about it.
Posted on 6/9/25 at 9:30 am to Bleed P&G
You’re leaning to far back before you start the pull. Keep your chest over the bar and your hips and hamstrings engaged. I also like to feel like I am trying to bend the bar around my legs to keep the upper back engaged which will keep the pull linear.
You’ll probably fix a lot just by doing that but you should also feel like you are pulling the bar up by pushing your feet through the floor instead of pulling the bar up. That will keep the posterior chain engaged instead of just yanking it with you back. You’re clearly strong enough to do that much weight, but if lower it a little bit to get your movement pattern right. I find it hard to do that if the weight is too low, but I wouldn’t exceed 185 for sure if I was you, and lower if possible
You’ll probably fix a lot just by doing that but you should also feel like you are pulling the bar up by pushing your feet through the floor instead of pulling the bar up. That will keep the posterior chain engaged instead of just yanking it with you back. You’re clearly strong enough to do that much weight, but if lower it a little bit to get your movement pattern right. I find it hard to do that if the weight is too low, but I wouldn’t exceed 185 for sure if I was you, and lower if possible
Posted on 6/9/25 at 10:36 am to Mingo Was His NameO
Thank you all for the feedback. There are some really good comments that already have me thinking about my form and trying to mentally fix it.
Part of my issue was not knowing what weight to start with. When I started Greyskull 6 weeks ago, I just picked 200 lb as a starting weight. I was able to pick it up 10 times, so I added 10 lb, and continued on.
I am going to drop down to 135 lb and just focus on technique until I feel more comfortable with the movement. Much like a golf swing, I think I need to feel that my body in in the right position and doing the right movements, instead of overthinking each part of the movement.
For those that mentioned adding kettlebell swings, what would this look like? What size kettlebell and how many set/reps? How many times per week? I don't have a kettlebell, so I would need to get one.
Part of my issue was not knowing what weight to start with. When I started Greyskull 6 weeks ago, I just picked 200 lb as a starting weight. I was able to pick it up 10 times, so I added 10 lb, and continued on.
I am going to drop down to 135 lb and just focus on technique until I feel more comfortable with the movement. Much like a golf swing, I think I need to feel that my body in in the right position and doing the right movements, instead of overthinking each part of the movement.
For those that mentioned adding kettlebell swings, what would this look like? What size kettlebell and how many set/reps? How many times per week? I don't have a kettlebell, so I would need to get one.
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